Blood is in the air
by Reflection of My Tears
Summary: Mysterious things are happening in the Clans; cats are getting picked off and murdered, strange noises can be heard during the night, and something is preventing StarClan from sending prophecies...Set in Midnight.


**Hello! This is a story I thought of while watching a horror film (Shaun of the Dead. It's not really a horror film but I thought of it when watching David's guts being ripped out.)…yea…anyways, it's set in Midnight for a reason!**

**Summary: Mysterious things are happening in the Clans; cats are getting picked off and murdered, strange noises can be heard during the night, and something is preventing StarClan from sending prophecies…set in Midnight.**

Moonlight shone in through the crack in the roof, illuminating the rock below. As it shone like a star six figures crouched down beside it. One, a dark-gray she-cat, flicked her tail as she glanced at her apprentice, a light brown tabby, blue eyes warm. The younger of the two stared at her mentor nervously, stomach churning in unease. Cinderpelt, for that was her mentor's name, smiled, and her eyes seemed to be saying, "_Its okay, Leafpaw. You'll do fine."_ Leafpaw forced a smile, taking a deep breath before crouching down and copying her mentor. Cinderpelt watched her closely before touching her nose to the Moonstone. The icy cold was a shock at first, as it always was, gripping her entire body. As she closed her eyes, drifting away from the waking world, voices murmured beside her, pelts brushing hers.

Her eyes opened into slits then flew open. She could tell by the lush trees and thick fields that she was in StarClan's hunting grounds. But something wasn't right. Her vision was blurred, and the StarClan cats were splotches of colour. Then one spoke. She was a magnificent blue-gray she-cat with icy blue eyes, from what Cinderpelt could see. It was Bluestar, the old leader of ThunderClan.

"Bluestar," Cinderpelt welcomed, dipping her head in greeting. "It's good to see you again."

"Cinderpelt," Bluestar's voice was slurred, making it hard to hear. "StarClan brings a prophecy of great danger………"

Cinderpelt blinked awake with her nose pressed to the moonstone. _'What in the name of StarClan just happened…?! _She thought, confusion blurring her mind. All she remembered was hearing part of Bluestar's sentence, where everything was hard to see and hear, and then black. Confusion and fear pulsed through her veins, turning her limbs to stone. A soft whimpering broke into her thoughts and she turned to see Leafpaw crouching there, staring at the ground, eyes completely engulfed in terror. The light brown tabby opened her mouth to speak, but Cinderpelt silenced her by brushing her tail gently across her muzzle. A brown tabby tom rose to his paws. When he signalled with his tail for everyone to leave, Leafpaw sprang to her paws and pelted out of the dark, gloomy tunnel. Cinderpelt sighed and followed more slowly though her paws were itching to race after her apprentice.

The sun had just risen in the sky when a flash of brown streaked down the ravine and through the gorse tunnel leading to the medicine cat den, followed by an awkward gray figure. When Cinderpelt had reached the den she found Leafpaw lying there, sprawled out on the ground, flanks heaving. Letting out a heavy sigh, the gray she-cat plopped down beside her apprentice, damaged leg awkwardly sticking out to one side.

"Cinderpelt…what did it mean?" Leafpaw gasped, struggling to sit up. She had raced nearly the whole way from Fourtrees back to camp in an effort to leave the clinging horror of her dream behind.

"What?" Cinderpelt paused in her washing. "What did what mean?"

"My dream. I couldn't understand what Spottedleaf was saying, and…"

"It's okay, Leafpaw. Don't worry. I'll be with you."

o0o--o0o

Blood sprayed into the air as long, sharp claws sliced through the soft flesh of a cat's brown underbelly. Letting out a screech of pain, the long-limbed young tom squirmed, trying to pry himself away from his attacker. His black fur was rapidly turning scarlet, and blood poured from the fatal wound on his stomach. The ragged gray tom which was attacking him shrieked with menacing laughter, a rusty purr forming in his throat.

"You ThunderClan are so weak. I don't know why I never thought of this sooner!"

At last the young toms struggles were growing weaker, and he protested by making a faint growling sound in the back of his throat.

"Wh…what do you want with me…? I'm…almost…a warrior…"

"Do you think I care about that? All I want…is vengeance!" With that he erupted into more rasping laughter which ended in a fit of coughing. "Now...if you stop struggling this will be a whole lot easier."

"F…fox dung…!" The young black tom spat weakly in defiance, refusing to join StarClan just yet. "I'll…never let you….destroy ThunderClan!"

"Where did that pesky apprentice run off to now?!" a voice sounded about quite a few fox-lengths away. The bleeding tom gasped feebly when he recognized his father, Dustpelt.

Blood was still pouring from his wound and the light was dying in his eyes, but he wouldn't die for a while yet. The shabby tom narrowed his hostile amber eyes before once again leaping on the apprentice, grasping his throat in his strong jaws.

"Wh…what are you…?" the tom started to choke out, but was interrupted as the older cat clamped his jaws shut. There was a sickening squelch as more blood flew into the air, spraying the two. Even though he could taste the bitter tang of the scarlet substance in his nostrils and felt it flooding his mouth, he still bit deeper, holding his mouth shut until the body beneath his went limp. Pulling his head back with a satisfied gleam in his eyes, he peered at the tom. His round eyes were stretched wide and glazed, though he could make out a trace of fear beneath it, and his mouth was slightly agape, as if he had been trying to choke out last words before he joined StarClan. His ears were flat against his skull and legs splayed in different directions as if he had tried to make a feeble attempt to push him off. His black fur (and the grass around them) was scarlet, the blood still running.

The tom's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of paws trampling through the undergrowth, and he bounded away, turning around just in time to see a dark tabby tom, dusky drown she-cat and a pale ginger she-cat burst through and stare in horror at the apprentice's limp body.

"NO!!"

Leafpaw woke with a start when she heard the chilling wail that emitted from somewhere in the forest. _That sounded like…Dustpelt? But why would he wail like that-Oh, no. Great StarClan, please tell me nothing happened to Spiderpaw! I knew that those two went on patrol this morning…_Rising to her paws, she yawned and looked around for Cinderpelt. Spotting her mentor's gray flank, the young brown tabby padded quietly over.

"Cinderpelt…do you think something happened to Spiderpaw…?"

The gray she-cat did not reply, instead bounding into the clearing, beckoning for Leafpaw to follow.

She stood there, staring in horror, terrified spasms running through her, gazing at the limp body.

"What happened?" a gray queen came out of the nursery, small kits tumbling after her.

"Ferncloud…I'm so sorry…"a golden-brown tom, whose name was Brackenfur, murmured in sympathy.

"Huh? What are you—oh!" She noticed the young tom lying in the centre of the clearing, unmoving. "D-Dustpelt…w-why is S-Spiderpaw…?"

Dustpelt sniffed, trying to hide the tears that trickled down his cheeks. "We found him like this…with blood…all over him, and the grass…"

"B-but Spiderpaw…he can't be dead!" Ferncloud stuttered, rushing over to her son and trying to rouse him, but had no avail. "NO! NO! SPIDERPAW…HE CAN'T BE DEAD, HE CAN'T!"

_Three weeks later…_

The ThunderClan cats huddled together in the centre of the clearing, eyes round with fear. Three cats, all brutally murdered while alone and unsuspecting, by a mysterious killer. Leafpaw and Cinderpelt had gone to the Moonstone again, leaving the cats frightened and looking to their leader, Firestar, for guidance. But what they didn't know was that Firestar was just as afraid and confused as they were, but he tried to cover it with encouraging words.

"Sandstorm, what's happening?"

The pale ginger she-cat turned her head towards him, rasping her tongue over his ear. Her green eyes looked at him.

"I don't know, Firestar. I'm sure it'll…blow over soon."

He shook his head, flicking his ginger tail.

"What should I say at the Gathering?"

"Whatever you feel necessary. You know that the cats will support you."

The ThunderClan leader rose to his paws, looking at his mate with affection and gratitude.

"Thanks, Sandstorm."

She purred, rising as well, "You're welcome, Firestar."

He took a shuddering breath before padding out to address his Clan, Sandstorm behind him. But, little did they know, the very same tom that had murdered three of their cats, targeting more, was right outside camp, listening to every word that was spoken.

**Well, I hope you liked it! Sorry if it was bad, but I'll try better next time!**


End file.
